MS. Junius 121
Summary Catalogue no.: 5232
Ecclesiastical Institutes, Homilies; England (Worcester), s. xi 2, glossed s. xiii 1
Contents
Ecclesiastical institutes, etc.
A table of contents (fols. 5-8) preceded by canon law extracts (fols. 1v-4v), precedes five numbered sections: (1) I-XLIII (fols 9r-69v); (2) I-XV (fols 69v-74r); (3) I-XXX (fols 74r-80v); (4) I-XVI (fols 80v-84v); (5) I-XXX (fols 84v-110v). The last four sections (2)-(5) are referred to as Books 1-4; the first three books (2)-(4) (fols. 69v-84v) correspond to the first three books of the 'Penitential of Pseudo-Egbert', while the fourth is miscellaneous. The endleaves (fols. iii recto - vi recto) contain additions of the 13th century. The numbering of items follows Ker.
Additions on the endleaves, thirteenth century
Tremulous Hand
fol. iii r: nine words in four columns; fol. iii v: two word pairs (otherwise blank) All in the Tremulous Hand. (For later notes on fols. ii verso and iii recto see Provenance).
One word pair in the Tremulous Hand (pencil)
s. xii/xiii (Franzen 1998, p. 59)
A list of writers of hymns, and hymns ascribed to them. Reproduced in Crawford 1928, p. 5.
s. xiii
Tremulous Hand
In top margin, s. xiii, 'recti diligunt te suete lefdi seinte marie'; immediately below it, in the Tremulous Hand, a string of Latin synonyms.
Fols. vi verso, vii recto-verso blank.
Table of contents, preceded by canon law extracts
1080-1100 (Franzen 1998, p. 59)
On first page after composition of manuscript [not main hand]
This page is blank apart from two neumed lines, and ‘writ ðus’ above this.
Hand 2
- CCCC 265, p. 32;
- Rouen, Bibliotheque municipale 1382 (U.109), 189r;
- Oxford, Bodleian Library, Barlow 37, 5r;
- cf. a version (apparently with additions) in CCCC 190 , pp. 136-7 and Nero A. i , fol. 152r-v.
Hand 2
See also Cross and Hamer 1999, pp. 108 (no. 102) and 171 (no. 167).
Hand 2
Hand 2
Canon of the Council of Winchester, 1070
Hand 3; after 1070; Whitelock et al. (1981), II.575-6.
Hand 4. The bowls of P, Q, S are coloured in green. Whitelock et al. (1981), II.583-4.
Hand 5; after 1076; Whitelock et al. (1981), II.619-29
Hand 1
Fol. 7v: scribe stops using two columns and just writes contents out in one column. Fol. 8v is blank.
Arts. 1-4, 6-10, 13-14 comprise the revised version (II Polity). Here presented in a sequence of chapters numbered I-XLIII, incorporating additional texts, arts. 5, 11, 12, 15-22.
Hand 1
One erasure (fol. 15r)
Erasure in margin on fol. 17v
Erasure in word division on fol. 18r
Fol. 19r/23 is blank - there is a tear in the parchment.
Fols 23v/14-24r/21 appear as fols 67r/7-67v/17 below.
Fol. 26-small hole at line 6; fol. 26r/13 addition-by main scribe?; fol. 27v/14 and first word of line 15 erasedl; fol. 28v/4-note by Coleman in the margin: Gylden oððe | seolfren | amen (next to: ˥ riht is þæt ælc calic gegote beo).
Glosses from the scribe with the very long ascenders and descenders.
There is a major heading on fol. 40r/15 (beg. NE BEO NAN MAN OÐRES; catalogued by Ker as part of Napier XLVI) but this seems to be a division in one text rather than two since there is no new rubric. Glosses throughout by the Tremulous Hand, who has also noted each of the orders in the margins (as well as other glossing). fol. 39: small hole in parchment.
Fol. 43r (half-sheet) has two small holes in the bottom righthand corner, and on fol. 51v note by Coleman .
major heading at fol. 60r/17L EALA LEOFAN MEN BE þylcan bysenan ƿe us magon ƿar|nian.
Hand 1
Chapters are numbered i-xu (Book 1); i-xxx (Book 2); i-xui (Book 3); i (Book 4)
Hand 1
In Spindler's edition the order of the sections differs.
(extract)
Hand 1
It also occurs on fol. 77v as Book 2, chap. 17
Hand 1
Possibly copied from exemplar rather than original to the main scribe, since it follows directly from the previous item.
Hand 1
After this item there are possibly some pages missing. This marks a change of plan in the production of the manucript, which seems originally to have been intended with Hatton 113 and Hatton 114 as one large volume.
Homilies
Hand 1
This is a homily adapted from Ælfric's Letter to Wulfgeat : it does not contain the first 89 lines in Assman's edition.
Hand 1
Hand 1
Fol. 137v/18-22 is blank.
Hand 6
Hand 6
Hands 3, 7, 8
s. xi 2 ( Ker 1957); 1060-1080 ( Franzen 1998).
Hand 9
On fol. 155v, with musical notes: Iste homo ab atholescentia sua partim meruit in firmos curare dedit illi dominus claritatem magnam cecos illuminare et demones effugare.
Hand 10
Fol. 161v is blank.
Glosses throughout by the Tremulous Hand; some later glosses (e.g. arts. 5, 8).
Physical Description
Foliated. An earlier foliation in Joscelyn's hand starts from 1 on fol. 102 and ends at 59 on fol. 160. ( Franzen 1998, pp. 56, 58)
Collation
Condition
Layout
Fols 1-8 : ruled space 198 × 108 mm. 23 lines of two columns for table of contents, with double bounding lines right, left, and centre.
Fols 9-127; 138-45 : ruled space 198 × 106 mm. 23 long lines with double bounding lines, right and left.
Fols 128-137 (Quire 17) : ruled space 187 × 90 mm. 22 long lines with double bounding lines, right and left.
Hand(s)
The bulk of the manuscript (fols 5-137) is written by one hand (Ker's Hand 1, Ker 1957, item 338, at p. 417), apparently the same as the main hand of Hatton 113 and Hatton 114 ( Ker 1957, item 331). There are a number of additions (glosses and larger pieces) to the manuscript by at least ten other hands.
Hand 1. Fols 5-137 Ker describes this as a Worcester script; this hand is also found in other Worcester manuscripts including CCCC 178 (1957, p. 417: see also item 41). The 'possible change of hand' on fol. 111 seems to be simply a thicker pen, although ‘ð’ is slightly different; the overall appearance is similar to Hand 2. same occasional high ‘a’ The shape of the second element of ‘æ’ is influenced by the letter which succeeds it. ‘e’ is round-backed or horned depending on its place in the word and the following letter. Wide tail on ‘g’ . ‘s’ is slightly wedgier. The descender of ‘þ’ is notched. Most ‘ascenders’ except that of ‘þ’ are clubbed, but some ascenders have wedged clubs and some are wedged; for example, on ‘h’ and ‘b’ , in English and Latin. Some erasures, some additions: found throughout the manuscript. gesƿr^a^ecan Added interlinearly. The colour of the added letter ‘a’ is paler than the main text. It might have been added at a later stage.
Hand 2. Fols 1v-2v This is very like the main hand; in fact, since the first folios are in Latin and much of Hand 1 is written in Old English, the two are not always directly comparable. Where Hand 1 writes in Latin there are similar features: some mixing of clubs and wedges; slant on Caroline ‘h’ , wedgy ‘p’ , wide open ‘g’ . Some letters are distinct enough to suggest that these are two separate hands: more of a wedge on long ‘s’ has a long descender in this hand. ‘x’ has a long descender in this hand.
Hand 3. Fols 148v/10-22; 150r; 150v/16-151r; 152r-3v; 154r/17-154v/12 This hand is angular and upright, the letters are quite narrow, it is possibly the hand of Hemming ( Ker 1948, p. 417). The top of ‘e’ in ‘æ’ is very high. ‘d’ has a very short and tiny ascender. ‘g’ has an open bowl. ‘h’ has very tiny feet. Long ‘s’ is sometimes almost flat-topped. The ‘orum’ abbreviation slants downwards.
Hand 4. Fols 3-4 This is quite a rounded Caroline script, wedges and clubs are not mixed (unlike in other hands in this manuscript). The ‘orum’ abbreviation is straight.
Hand 5. Fols 4r-v This hand has long loopy descenders and wedges. Occasionally a big loopy Caroline ‘a’ .
Hand 6. Fols 138r-48v This is quite like Hand 2, and just possibly could be the same as it, except that this hand seems less practised. This hand is rounder than Hand 1 and sometimes leans to the right slightly. ‘ð’ tends to flick to the right.
Hand 7. Fols 149r-v; 150v/1-15; 151v This hand has wedges on the feet of minims. ˥ is almost at right-angles. The descenders don't usually have wedges on their feet. On fol 150v/1-15 possibly a thinner pen. ‘y’ : curves to the left noticeably. ‘g’ : has a closed bowl. Long ‘s’ : very high and has quite a long descender, too. Very wedgy. This is similar to Hands 1 and 2, but quite thick.
Hand 8. Fols 154r/1-16 Uneven hand. The letters are not always firmly on the ruled line. Ascender on ‘d’ very short long. Has ‘a’ high ‘e’ , slightly left-leaning. ‘a’ few. Odd ‘ð’ where the scribe has drawn ‘o’ and then added an ascender. Closed bowl on ‘g’ . Long ‘descenders’ .
Hand 9. Fols 154v-157 This scribe is not good at writing on the lines. This is a left-leaning, flowing script. ‘a’ : round. ‘æ’ : round. Open ‘g’ . High long ‘s’ sometimes with descender drooping below the line. ‘˥’ is high. The top of ‘ð’ curls round to the right. The bottoms of the descenders flick to the left . ‘y’ long and left-flicking Chunky feet on ‘minims’ .
Hand 10. Fols 157-60 This hand is quite square and wedgy. ‘d’ the ascender is short. ‘y’ is long and flicks to the left The bowl of ‘g’ is open.
Hand 11. There are several layers of glosses by the Tremulous Hand in Latin and English. xiii 1
Neums, fol. 1r, occasionally elsewhere in the margins.
Decoration
Coloured initials, sometimes with a little decoration. Some blue initials, e.g. fol. 124v; also numerous green and red intials, often used alternately in a text (presumably to highlight sections for reading).
Binding
Bound, s. xviii , in blind-tooled brown leather (Ure 1957, p. 3)
History
Provenance and Acquisition
Written at Worcester, as evidenced by the script. At Worcester cathedral priory in the thirteenth century, when annotated by the Tremulous Hand. Referred to as a book of 'Worcester Librarye' in 1566 and catalogued at Worcester by Patrick Young in 1622-3 (see Ker). The manuscript was annotated by Joscelyn (fol. 86v, etc.) and perhaps by Archbishop Parker (fol. 4) (Ker).
In the possession of Christopher Lord Hatton in 1644, when used by Dugdale (Bodl. MS. Dugdale 29, fol. iv verso, as cited by Ker). There are notes by Dugdale on fol. iii recto and by Langaine on fols. ii verso, iii recto.
Passed to Franciscus Junius, 1589-1677 , and acquired after his death by the Bodleian Library in 1678.
Record Sources
Availability
To ensure its availability to future readers, access to this item is restricted, and readers are asked to work from reproductions and published descriptions as far as possible. To apply to see the original, please send a message to specialcollections.enquiries@bodleian.ox.ac.uk, outlining the subject of your research, the importance of this item to that research, and the resources you have already consulted.
Bibliography
Online resources:
Printed descriptions and other references:
Other references:
Last Substantive Revision
2020-06: Summary description replaced with full description from Production and Use of English Manuscripts 1060-1220